Radiuin-226 and radon-222 in the coastal waters of west Florida: high concentrations and atmospheric degassing.

On the central portion of the west Florida continental shelf, radionuclide activities show unusually wide variations: radium-226 activities up to 350 disintegrations per minute per 100 liters, radon-222 activities up to 1300 disintegrations per minute per 100 liters, and deficiencies of radon-222 as low as -10 disintegrations per minute per 100 liters. Florida's phosphate-rich strata seerm to be the principal source of the radionuclides, with the transfer occurring directly from sediments or indirectly in streams, ground-water flow, and geothermal springs. Winter storm fronts may enhance radon degassing in the shelf waters.